Hello there! I'm relatively new to the AtLA series. As in new in the fact that I watch the whole series in a manner of a week, like two weeks ago.
I'm a huge Zuko/Katara fan. I got the idea to this story from a song, when I was watching an AMV of FMA. Weird I know but its just kinda happened. Anyway it only really pertains to the first part of the story. Second part is pretty much just fluff. Enjoy.
And I've lost who I am
And I can't understand
Why my heart is so broken
Shattered - Trading Yesterday
Katara looked at herself in the mirror.
I look…
"You're such a beautiful bride to be!" a woman that she vaguely knew said playing with her hair.
Why am I here?
What were they doing again?
"You'll be the most amazing bride to the Avatar that the world has ever known!" the woman continued.
Aang…
"He'll be such a lucky man!" The woman added while she made one last poke at her hair do, "I'll send that stubborn maid of honour of yours to get you when you're ready to head down the aisle."
Katara nodded dumbly and the woman exited.
Her eyes glanced back that the mirror.
I look terrible.
She screamed.
Vases shattered as the water escaped from there captivity in Katara's rage and then fell to floor splashing everything in its grasp.
"Katara?" a familiar voice asked from outside the door.
She stood.
"Katara are you okay? I thought I heard something break. Is it alright…can I come in there?"
It was Zuko.
She went to the door and opened it a crack. She had peaked her head out the crack and looked at his tall form in front of her.
"Everything is fine." She said with a stressed smile.
He raised his only existing eyebrow followed by crossing his arms in front of his Fire Lord robes, "You've been one of my best friends for years Katara, I can tell when you're lying. It's not like you're a cold hearted bitch and just with the guy because you thought you had to be."
Was I being like Mai? Was I just with Aang because I thought it was the right thing to do?
It was then when her guard was down that he pushed his way into the room. Grabbing her by the shoulders he looked her squarely in the face, "This is what you want right? Now go out there and do it!" He said pointing to the door, which was fully open and Toph was standing on the other side.
"Pep talk?" she questioned. Her blind greyed over eyes looking down at the floor.
"Er…yeah something like that." Zuko answered the girl and then stepped behind Katara pushing her on the back towards Toph.
"I'll be in the front, watching for you." He said and then exited.
Katara nodded at his retreating form.
She was dragged by the blind girl to where she would head down the aisle…to Aang.
Toph headed down first with flowers in hand to the soft music and once she reached the end someone kindly guided her off to the side.
The grand march began to play and Katara took her place and much like a machine she walked down the aisle. She concentrated on Aang.
And on her slow trek she caught sight of her bother Sokka weeping like a child, Suki softly rubbing his shoulder. Just a row in front of them she saw her father grinning proudly happy to see that he had lived to see this day. Her Grandmother and Pakku with there soft knowing smiles, tears slightly peaking out of there eyes.
She caught site of Zuko staring at her from his seat at front. Face blank and void of any emotion.
Katara's eyes then drifted to Aang, so unaware of the inner turmoil she was feeling. He grinned at her and it was something that she couldn't return.
She glanced toward Toph; the girls eyes glazed staring off into nothing, a fake smile plastered on her face. She hated doing this as much…
I hate this…
I need to get out of here.
It was there, three quarters of the way down the aisle she stopped. Aang gave a questioning look. Tears welled up in Katara's eyes. She dropped the bouquet she was holding.
"I'm sorry."
I need to get away.
So she ran.
XXXX
"I knew I'd find you here." Zuko said with a slight smirk at Katara's condition.
They were in the kitchen of his uncle's tea shop. Katara, who had let her hair down from her atrocious hairdo and somehow managed to alter the length of her wedding dress by either tearing it or badly cutting it with scissors looked up at him. What he guessed was pancake batter dripped from the spoon she was holding and onto the front of her dress.
He pointed at the area in question so she could clean herself up. Instead she shrugged and mumbled, "It's not like I plan on wearing this again."
He took a seat across the counter from her and watched while she worked. After a few minutes of her dawdling she turned to him, "want any?"
He nodded in response and she poured a few extra pancakes onto the grill.
They sat in silence.
"Why aren't you yelling at me? Or at least mad at what I did today?" she eventually yelled out slamming her hands down on the counter effectively making a spoon going flying into the air.
He laughed and that fueled her anger. She glared and threw all manners of utensils at the Fire Lord.
After getting one too many forks thrown at his face he stated, "Alright already! Will you stop?"
And with that she flipped the pancakes and stared at him until he went further, "I'm not mad at you Katara. Not in the least."
"Why?" she cried.
He walked over to her wiping smudged makeup and all manner of other things from her face and hair gently, "I'm not mad at you at all Katara, because I love you. You saved me an excuse to stop the wedding."
She lifted and eyebrow, "You're kidding."
"No, I'm not," he said taking her hands in his, "who was there when we found my mother? Who was there when Mai broke up with me? Who was there when I had to make my first grand speech to the all the nations and I called the King Bumi a retarded old man in front of the speakers and then had to help me write a public apology to the Earth Kingdom?"
"Me," she said with a slight giggle, but he could see the tears forming in her eyes.
He used his thumbs to gently wipe away the tears, "You've helped me become the man I am today, and I truly deeply love you for it Katara."
"Burning."
"What?"
"The pancakes are burning you idiot!" she screamed.
He immediately dropped her hands and she motioned him to sit. So he sat across from her watching her work. Soon after a plate full of steaming pancakes sat in front of him.
He ate quietly. Obviously what he said struck a cord with her and she needed time to think it out.
Finally Katara looked up him with a smile and said, "Do you mind if we date first? I don't really know if I want to be Fire Lady Katara just yet."
A grin appeared on his marred face and he walked around the table taking her into his arms, "That'd be lovely Katara."
It was then that he kissed her.